Early withdrawal from mental health treatment: Implications for psychotherapy practice.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 46(2) of Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training (see record 2009-08897-009). The fourth author’s name was mistakenly left out of the author byline and table of contents. The correct author listing for this article is presented in the erratum.] Despite more than 50 years of research on client attrition from therapy, obstacles to the delivery and success of treatments remain poorly understood, and effective methods to engage and retain clients in therapy are lacking. This article offers a review of the literature on attrition, highlighting the methodological challenges in effectively addressing the complex nature of this problem. Current interventions for reducing attrition are reviewed, and recommendations for implementing these interventions into psychotherapy practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Anonymous reviewing and the peer-review process.

Suggests that S. J. Ceci and D. Peters (see record 1985-29014-001) should have carried their investigation of anonymous peer review a step further to determine what proportion of the 35.6% of papers whose authors were identified by the reviewers was published. It is suggested that it is time to try a peer review in which the identities of author and reviewer are made known to each other. (1 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Early withdrawal from mental health treatment: Implications for psychotherapy practice": Correction to Barrett et al (2008).

Reports an error in "Early withdrawal from mental health treatment: Implications for psychotherapy practice" by Marna S. Barrett, Wee-Jhong Chua, Paul Crits-Christoph, Mary Beth Gibbons and Don Thompson (Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 2008[Jun], Vol 45[2], 247-267). The fourth author’s name was mistakenly left out of the author byline and table of contents. The correct author listing for this article is presented in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2008-07317-011.) Despite more than 50 years of research on client attrition from therapy, obstacles to the delivery and success of treatments remain poorly understood, and effective methods to engage and retain clients in therapy are lacking. This article offers a review of the literature on attrition, highlighting the methodological challenges in effectively addressing the complex nature of this problem. Current interventions for reducing attrition are reviewed, and recommendations for implementing these interventions into psychotherapy practice are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Are height and weight nonsensitive?

Criticizes S. J. Ceci et al (see record 1986-12806-001) for labeling discrimination based on height and weight as nonsensitive compared with discrimination based on race and sex in their article on human Ss review board decisions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Personality disorder is disease": Comment.

Comments on the article by David Ausubel (see record 1962-03334-001) which argued that mental disorders are a disease. The point made by the current author that the facts that all behavior is mediated through neural structures and physiological processes and that impairment in these may result in disturbed behavior in no way support the proposition that the use of medical measures in treating behavior disorders is justified. Medical interventions for psychological disturbances seem to be warranted only when it can be demonstrated that, first, such procedures are directed toward the alleviation of certain underlying physical anomalies, and second, that the disturbances can be best treated by means of such interventions. Moreover, the fact that physical or psychological interventions can affect behavior in no way bears on the question of whether the condition represents a disease process or not. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dysgenics.

Comments on articles by W. M. Williams and S. J. Ceci (see record 1997-43129-007) and J. C. Loehlin (see record 1997-43129-008) regarding the phenomenon of dysgenics (i.e., the genetic deterioration of the population in regard to intelligence). It is noted that the 2 papers reached different conclusions: Williams and Ceci believe that there is no evidence that dysgenics is present, but Loehlin believes there is such evidence. It is suggested that Williams and Ceci found no evidence because they did not look in the right place for it. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on Greenwood (2007): Functional plasticity in cognitive aging.

In this commentary on P. M. Greenwood's Functional plasticity in cognitive aging: Review and hypothesis (see recrod 2007-15625-001), the author raises a number of questions stimulated by the article. Although it may be premature to expect answers to those questions, the author argues that they ultimately need to be addressed and answered before Greenwood's speculations can be considered true hypotheses rather than a conceptual framework. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new vision of personality...and of personality theory: Reply.

Replies to comments by Maddi (see record 2006-05893-007) on "A Tale of Two Visions: Can a New View of Personality Help Integrate Psychology?" (see record 2005-05480-001). In the original article, the current author proposed a new fieldwide framework for the discipline of personality psychology; in essence, it is a new outline to organize contemporary theory and research in the field. Maddi raised two interrelated objections to that proposed framework. First, he believes that there is a better way to organize the discipline of personality psychology than the one the current author proposed. His method involves comparing and analyzing the grand theories of personality and using the results of his analyses to guide research in the discipline. Maddi's (1968) meta-theory usefully organizes the statements of the grand theories of the early-to-mid-20th century, but the current author is not sure it is sufficient to organize the field. Second, he was concerned that the current author wants to de-emphasize the grand theories of the field. Maddi (2006) believes that disagreements among the grand theories are a fruitful source of research ideas. Although that may be true, there is more to personality psychology than the grand theories alone. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acceptability research in school psychology: Current trends and future directions.

As school psychology researchers and practitioners respond to demands for empirically supported interventions, questions have been raised regarding the responsiveness of those individuals who are responsible for implementation, what we have come to refer to as treatment or intervention acceptability. The purpose of this special issue (see records 2000-00107-002, 2000-00107-003, 2000-00107-004, 2000-00107-005, and 2000-00107-006) is to examine current status and future directions for school psychology research on acceptability. This introductory article provides a framework for interpreting the research presented herein, and for thinking about the issues faced by school psychology researchers and practitioners as they attempt to provide interventions that consumers will find acceptable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Constructing a literature from case studies: Promise and limitations of the method.

This article responds to "Coaching at the Top: Assisting A Chief Executive and His Team ' (M. M. Krajl, 2001 see record 2001-01213-005) by critiquing the article. It extends the discussion by focusing on the desired characteristics of a case study and how a professional literature can be derived from well constructed case studies. Applying these principles to Krajl's article, the author notes some issues concerning the intervention and preceding assessment, including the choice of the term coaching to describe complex and multifaceted interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Problems with McAdams and Pals's (2006) proposal of a framework for an integrative theory of personality.

Comments on the original article "A New Big Five: Fundamental Principles for an Integrative Science of Personality," by Dan P. McAdams and Jennifer L. Pals (see record 2006-03947-002). Here, the current author begins with a critique of McAdams and Pals's (April 2006) five principles for a framework for an integrative theory of personality. The current author then comments on their statements about the person-situation debate and the failure of personality psychologists to produce an integrative theory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A methodology for describing and decomposing complex psychosocial and behavioral interventions.

This article presents a comprehensive conceptual framework and methodology for characterizing multidimensional psychosocial and behavioral interventions for family caregivers of people with Alzheimer's disease. The methodology involved conducting a detailed task analysis of the interventions, and the application of the analytical hierarchy process. The authors were able to achieve high levels of consistency and reliability using this methodology to decompose and describe the interventions according to a complex conceptual framework comprising 3 dimensions: target domain, functional domain, and delivery system characteristics. Application of this methodology will enhance the ability to describe and measure interventions consistently, make comparisons across studies, isolate causal factors that achieve desired outcomes, and more generally elevate the science of psychosocial intervention research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Stalking the IQ-expertise relation: When the critics go fishing": Correction to Ceci and Liker.

Reports an error in "Stalking the IQ-expertise relation: When the critics go fishing" by Stephen J. Ceci and Jeffrey K. Liker (Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 1988[Mar], Vol 117[1], 96-100). In this commentary, subjects #24 and #25 were incorrectly listed as failing race 5 (0s). The corrections appear in the erratum. The erratum also includes a line missing from Footnote 2. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1988-31616-001.) Detterman and Spry (1988) criticize several conclusions we made in our study of racetrack handicapping and cognitive complexity (Ceci & Liker, 1986). Specifically, they claim that our use of an unreliable measure of expertise was responsible for our failure to obtain a relation between expertise and IQ. Consequently, we were accused of accepting the null hypothesis too readily. In this reply, we demonstrate, contrary to their claim, that the reliability of the measure in question is very high (.88) and that its reliability is manifested in its high correlation with another variable, interactive reasoning, overlooked by Detterman and Spry. We conclude by pointing out a number of factually inaccurate claims made by Detterman and Spry along with what appears to have been selective reporting of correlations to bolster their arguments; and we suggest that their failure to consider one entire aspect of our analyses rendered their criticisms baseless. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

(Mis-) Direction of effect sizes.

Comments on an article by Dixon et al. (see record 2007-06671-001) regarding the effect sizes they presented in their meta-analysis of psychological interventions for arthritis pain management. The author of this comment claims that some of the individual effect sizes that they presented are erroneous and have therefore undermined their cumulative effect size estimates. After examining findings from other studies, he concludes that the Dixon et al. meta-analysis reports cumulative effect sizes (Hedge’s g) that overestimate the effects of psychological treatments upon arthritis pain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Turning back the clock: A response to Szasz.

Comments on the article by T. S. Szasz (see record 1983-05532-001) in which he discusses the psychiatric will, a legal mechanism to protect persons against involuntary psychiatric interventions. The current author notes that Szasz ignored one central fact--the average length of stay in state mental hospitals is less than one month and the average length of stay in state prisons is measured in months and years. Therefore, if all dangerously mentally ill persons were processed through the criminal justice system, as Szasz recommends, rather than involuntarily hospitalized, the result would be a much longer period of confinement, which does not promote liberty and freedom. How is this humane and progressive? (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Worksite stress management interventions.

Despite the general agreement that stress plays a role in everyday life, there continues to be substantial controversy about how stress can be managed at the worksite. During the last decade, our knowledge of stress management interventions has increased substantially. Despite this improvement, deficiencies in the literature exist. In this article, we offer a framework that may be used for viewing organizational stress interventions, briefly review some of the stress management intervention literature in the context of this framework, and identify future needs that may be particularly appropriate for organizational psychologists to address. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Polemics and prevention: A comment on Costello.

Comments on the original article "Major depression: A comparison of the routes to prevention," by C. G. Costello (see record 1986-17712-001). Costello's paper on major depression, says the current author, is essentially a polemic against the viability of preventive strategies for alleviating the impact of social problems on psychological well-being. Fortunately for those involved in prevention, his arguments do not bear much scrutiny. His major method of attack is to select social or medical problems that have a weak relationship with depression, and then to use the very fact of this weak relationship to show that a prevention programme that worked only with the particular social or medical problem would have a negligible impact on the total incidence of depression. The current author maintains that a lack of understanding of how preventive interventions really work is apparent in the hypothetical examples Costello offers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Making children into competent witnesses: Reactions to the amicus brief In re Michaels.

In their amicus brief, M. Bruck and S. J. Ceci (see record 1996-09956-001) highlight the many ways in which children's competence and informativeness can be undercut by incompetent investigative procedures and interview techniques. In this article, the authors discuss ways in which skilled interviewers, with realistic goals regarding the amount and quality of information that can be obtained from young informants, can instead enhance the quality of children's accounts. The discussion of these issues is informed by a review of the scholarly literatures on children's memory, communicative styles and skills, and suggestibility, as well as by field research on the usefulness of different interview strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Human Subjects Review boards: A modest proposal.

Proposes a solution to problems related to the human Ss review boards as discussed by S. J. Ceci et al (see record 1986-12806-001). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)